EQ2: Empowering Direct Care Staff to Build Trauma-Informed Communities for Youth

ABSTRACT This article evaluates the feasibility, acceptability and initial outcomes of an innovative organizational intervention (EQ2: Empowering Direct Care Staff to Build Trauma-Responsive Communities for Youth). EQ2 is a psychoeducational training designed to build staff effectiveness in agencies that serve at-risk, trauma-impacted youth, particularly those youth involved in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems. EQ2 incorporates principles of trauma-informed care, mindfulness and restorative justice practices to help staff members to develop their own social and emotional regulation skills so that they can effectively model and co-regulate with youth, thereby contributing to the development of trauma-sensitive environments. Thirty-one staff members from four diverse youth-serving agencies participated in the six-session intervention delivered on-site at their programs. Preliminary results indicate that participating staff members perceived the intervention as: 1) increasing their understanding of the impact of trauma on youth behavior; 2) providing them with practical skills to proactively de-escalate crisis situations; and, 3) helping them to feel more effective in their professional roles. The data suggest that EQ2 is a promising intervention that can support positive outcomes for youth and staff, particularly in under-resourced communities.